Cambodia prepares to join Mangroves For the Future as tenth member country

29 July 2013 | Article

Following the approval of its National Strategy and Action Plan in June, Cambodia is expected to join MFF as the tenth member country within 2013. Cambodia started its work in 2010 as an MFF “Outreach Country” in meeting the three main requirements to be considered for full country membership.

These were to build a strong Executive Board for Mangroves for the Future initiative of Cambodia (EB-MFF-CAM) endorsed by the Ministry of Environment, the consensus based development and endorsement of the National Strategy and Action Plan, and finally the expected funding outlined in the MFF Phase 3 proposal to Sida in taking forward the oversight and implementation of priority actions of National Strategy and Action Plan. This year Cambodia will make the formal request for full country membership in MFF.

H.E Dr.Vann Monyneath, Chair of EB-MFF-CAM - along with two more members, will attend and present Cambodia's letter of request to join MFF as full member country at the 10th MFF Regional Steering Committee (RSC-10) meeting scheduled to be held in Hoi An, Viet Nam in September 2013. Cambodia firmly hopes that the Regional Steering Committee will endorse its letter of request to become a full member country under the framework of MFF.

Inclusion of Cambodia as member country of Mangroves for the Future initiative will offer significant contributions to protecting and managing existing coastal ecosystems in the country. Access to MFF's small and medium grants facilities will help local communities and civil society in Cambodia to better manage and protect the coastal ecosystems in sustainable ways and also improve their resource dependent livelihoods. H.E Dr. Vann Monyneath, Chair of the Executive board of MFF in Cambodia said, "The full member countries of MFF have reaped a lot of benefits for development of coastal resources and the improvement of local people’s livelihoods in their own countries. In 2014, we will join forces with MFF regional secretariat to contribute our efforts in order to share and exchange our coastal experiences to other MFF countries beyond the region. Although Cambodia is not yet a full member, MFF has engaged Cambodia in various capacity building activities related to management, conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems. In 2013, four officers from the state institutions and local civil society attended regional training courses organized by MFF."